Russell Crowe’s £5,000 gift to save bookshop

HE’S known for his macho performance in Gladiator.

But Russell Crowe has proved the pen truly is mightier than the sword – after saving a Norwich bookshop with a £5,000 cheque.

The Australian actor donated more than a third of the amount needed by bookshop boss Leanne Fridd to rescue her struggling business in a ‘last resort’ crowdfunder.

Ms Fridd, who runs the Bookbugs and Dragon Tales store, thought the online donation was a hoax. But research revealed that a mutual friend had drawn 58-year-old Crowe’s attention to her plight.

On Twitter, she wrote: ‘Absolute scenes at our bookshop today.

Floods of people followed by floods of tears followed by a strange kind of realisation that our bookshop will live to fight on thanks to all of you!’